Effective Managers & Coworkers are Kind

Cathie Leimbach • August 15, 2023

“We know that managers are the single biggest determinant of employee satisfaction, performance, and perceptions of well-being,” says McKinsey partner, Emily Field. Yet, too often they are considered just cogs in a wheel, taking instructions from above and pushing the people below to get results.


Often, employees experience their manager as a task master breathing down their back or neglecting them though they need help to succeed. However, effective managers are coaches. Such leaders care about both the people and the workplace results. Here are a few ways that managers can show they care for their team members as individuals and as employees.


  • Say good morning to your colleagues. Take a quick walk around the office when you arrive and say hello to several coworkers who are already there. Acknowledge those who walk past your work station as they arrive.
  • When working remotely, take a few minutes in the morning to call someone who told you they had an appointment with a medical specialist yesterday and ask how it went. Or, call a colleague who has just returned from vacation and ask them to share a couple of highlights from their time away.
  • When you read in the newspaper that one of your colleagues children were the MVP in a sports game or won an academic award, congratulate your colleague in-person, by phone, text, or email.
  • Ask others a question about themselves or about their workplace priorities this week. Really listen to their response.  Ask a few follow-up questions to learn more.
  • When you know a coworker has a big deadline or an unusually taxing workload, ask how you could help. If you can only spare 30 minutes, say “I could take 30 minutes today or tomorrow to help you. What would you like me to do?
  • When someone can’t get away for coffee or lunch, grab something for them when you are getting your own.


Next week is “Be Kind to Humankind Week”. How will you show kindness to the people in your life at work and beyond? Click here for 15 ways you could express kindness at work.

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